Emergency shelter

ABSTRACT

An emergency shelter including a support frame and an outer covering. The covering includes an upper panel positioned on top of the frame, and a side panel wrapped around the frame. The upper panel has at least one downwardly extending flap with one or more fasteners. The side panel has an upper edge portion with one or more fasteners removably fastened to the fastener(s) of the at least one downwardly extending flap. Optionally, a lower panel having at least one upwardly extending flap with one or more fasteners is positioned under the frame. The side panel may have a lower edge portion with one or more fasteners removably fastened to the fastener(s) of the at least one upwardly extending flap of the lower panel. One or more packs configured to change a temperature inside the shelter relative to a temperature outside the shelter may be placed inside the shelter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed generally to temporary shelters used in emergency situations, such as natural disasters.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many situations, such as natural disasters, like floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes, result in power outages. Often, power outages leave homes intact but without electricity to run heaters and/or air conditioners. If the temperature in the area is sufficiently hot or sufficiently cold, residents may be unable to stay in their homes. The power outage may last for days or even weeks. Often, this results in a need for temporary and/or emergency housing.

Unfortunately, physical space is needed for such temporary and/or emergency housing. This can be difficult when the power outage was caused by an event that devastated a large area. Conventional solutions for providing temporary and/or emergency housing can be expensive to deploy. Further, vacating homes leaves them vulnerable to looters.

In addition to unplanned power outages, some people may wish to reduce their power consumption voluntarily by reducing the temperature in their homes in cold weather, and/or increasing the temperature in their homes in hot weather. However, if the house is too hot or too cold, it may be difficult to sleep.

Therefore, a need exists for devices that help people to stay in their homes even when those homes are uncomfortably hot or cold, particularly for sleeping. The present application provides this and other advantages as will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is perspective view an emergency shelter having an outer covering.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the shelter of FIG. 1 showing a support frame, as well as upper, lower, and side panels of the outer covering.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the upper panel of the shelter of FIG. 1 showing an outwardly facing surface of the upper panel.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the upper panel of the shelter of FIG. 1 showing an inwardly facing surface of the upper panel.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upper and lower panels of the shelter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a first side view of the side panel of the shelter of FIG. 1 depicting an outwardly facing surface of the side panel.

FIG. 7 is a second side view of the side panel of the shelter of FIG. 1 depicting an inwardly facing surface of the side panel.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary insulated portion of the outer covering of the shelter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the support frame of the shelter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the support frame of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the lower panel of the shelter of FIG. 1 supported by a support surface.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the support frame positioned on the lower panel.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a subassembly that includes the lower panel, the support frame, and the upper panel.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the side panel being wrapped around the subassembly of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the shelter of FIG. 1 with a person lying down inside the shelter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is perspective view an emergency shelter 100. The shelter 100 is designed for indoor or outdoor use. For example, the shelter 100 may be assembled inside a home (e.g., on top of a bed, on a floor, and the like). The shelter 100 is configured to retain heat (e.g., body heat, heat generated by a chemical heating pack, and the like) or cold (e.g., cold generated by an ice pack) without the aid of external power or fuel (such as electricity, gas, oil, and the like).

Referring to FIG. 15, one or more people (e.g., a person 102) may assemble the shelter 100 inside a home and sleep comfortably inside the shelter when environmental temperatures inside the home would make doing so difficult, if not impossible. By using the shelter 100 in this manner, residents (e.g., the person 102) may avoid vacating the home during a power outage. In other words, the shelter 100 helps people stay in their homes when heating and/or cooling are not operating in the home.

The shelter 100 may also be used to help voluntarily reduce power consumption. For example, the person 102 may wish to conserve power by reducing the temperature inside the person's home in cold weather, and/or increasing the temperature in the home in hot weather. Whenever, the temperature inside the home is uncomfortable for sleeping, the person 102 (and optionally, one or more other people) may sleep inside the shelter 100.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the shelter 100. The shelter 100 includes a support frame 110, and an outer covering 120 (see FIG. 1). The outer covering 120 defines a substantially hollow interior 130 (see FIG. 15). In the embodiment illustrated, the support frame 110 is positioned inside the interior 130. Thus, in the embodiment illustrated, the outer covering 120 may be characterized as being draped over the support frame 110. In alternate embodiments (not shown), all or portions of the support frame 110 may be outside (or extend beyond) the outer covering 120.

Referring to FIG. 15, the interior 130 may be suitably sized such that one or more people (e.g., the person 102) may lie down inside the shelter 100 to sleep. The interior 130 of the shelter 100 may be heated or cooled using one or more packs 134 (see FIG. 2). In other words, the packs 134 are configured to change an interior temperature inside the shelter 100 relative to an environmental temperature outside the shelter. By way of a non-limiting example, each of the packs 134 may be implemented using a standard hand warmer-type heat pack, a conventional ice pack, a conventional gel pack, and the like.

Whenever desired, the shelter 100 may be assembled to provide a warm or cool place in which to sleep. After the shelter 100 is assembled, the person 102 may get inside the shelter 100, and activate (if necessary) the one or more packs 134 (see FIG. 2) inside the shelter 100. For example, one or more cooling packs may be used to lower an interior temperature inside the shelter 100 relative to an environmental temperature outside the shelter. Conversely, one or more heating packs may be used to increase the interior temperature inside the shelter 100 relative to the environmental temperature outside the shelter.

Referring to FIG. 2, optionally, after activation (if necessary), the packs 134 may be placed in one or more bags 136 inside the shelter 100. In the embodiment illustrated, the bags 136 are constructed from a mesh material and configured to hang downwardly from the support frame 110. The outer covering 120 (see FIG. 1) is insulated and retains heating or cooling generated by the one or more packs 134 inside the shelter 100. By way of a non-limiting example, each of the bags 136 may be about 8 inches by about 8 inches (or about 20.32 centimeters by about 20.32 centimeters).

In the embodiment illustrated, the outer covering 120 (see FIG. 1) includes an upper panel 140, a lower panel 142, and a side panel 144. While the upper, lower, and side panels 140, 142, and 144 are illustrated as being separated from one another, in alternate embodiments (not shown), two or more of the panels may be connected together to form a single panel.

In the embodiment illustrated, the upper panel 140 is substantially identical to the lower panel 142. For ease of illustration, only the upper panel 140 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a top view of the upper panel 140, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the upper panel 140. Thus, in FIG. 3, an outwardly facing surface 146U of the upper panel 140 is depicted. On the other hand, in FIG. 4, an inwardly facing surface 148U of the upper panel 140 is depicted. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upper and lower panels 140 and 142.

Turning to FIG. 3, the upper panel 140 includes a central insulated portion 150U having a peripheral portion 152U. One or more flaps (e.g., flaps UF1-UF4) extend outwardly from the peripheral portion 152U. In the embodiment illustrated, each of the flaps UF1-UF4 has a substantially rectangular shape. However, this is not a requirement.

In the embodiment illustrated, the central insulated portion 150U has a substantially rectangular shape and the peripheral portion 152U includes edges UE1-UE4, and corners UC1-UC4. By way of non-limiting examples, the edges UE1-UE3 may each be about four feet (or about 1.22 meters) long, and the edges UE2-UE4 may each be about six feet (or about 1.83 meters) long.

One or more fasteners (e.g., Velcro strips 154, snaps, buttons, buttonholes, hooks, eyes, zipper portions, and the like) are positioned on each of the flaps UF1-UF4. By way of a non-limiting example, the Velcro strips 154 may be sewn on the flaps UF1-UF4. In some embodiments, the flaps UF1-UF4 may be constructed entirely of Velcro. However, this is not a requirement.

As shown in FIG. 5, the flaps UF1-UF4 fold along the edges UE1-UE4, respectively, so that the Velcro strips 154 face outwardly and hang downwardly from the central insulated portion 150U. Optionally, the flaps UF1 and UF2 may be attached to one another at the corner UC1, the flaps UF2 and UF3 may be attached to one another at the corner UC2, the flaps UF3 and UF4 may be attached to one another at the corner UC3, and the flaps UF4 and UF1 may be attached to one another at the corner UC4. When the flaps UF1-UF4 are attached to one another in this manner, the flaps UF1-UF4 may extend outwardly at approximately a right angle with respect to the central insulated portion 150U. In such embodiments, the flaps UF1-UF4 may be substantially orthogonal to the central insulated portion 150U.

As mentioned above, the lower panel 142 is substantially identical to the upper panel 140. Thus, the lower panel 142 includes a central insulated portion 150L substantially identical to the central insulated portion 150U of the upper panel 140. The lower panel 142 also includes one or more flaps (e.g., flaps LF1-LF4) substantially identical to the one or more flaps (e.g., the flaps UF1-UF4) of the upper panel 140. Further, the flaps LF1-LF4 are attached to and fold along edges LE1-LE4 that are substantially identical to the edges UE1-UE4 of the upper panel 140. The lower panel 142 also includes corners LC1-LC4 substantially identical to the corners UC1-UC4 of the upper panel 140.

One or more fasteners (e.g., the Velcro strips 154, snaps, buttons, buttonholes, hooks, eyes, zipper portions, and the like) are positioned on each of the flaps LF1-LF4. In some embodiments, the flaps LF1-LF4 may be constructed entirely of Velcro. However, this is not a requirement. The flaps LF1-LF4 fold along edges LE1-LE4, respectively, so that the Velcro strips 154 face outwardly and extend upwardly from the central insulated portion 150L. Optionally, the flaps LF1 and LF2 may be attached to one another at the corner LC1, the flaps LF2 and LF3 may be attached to one another at the corner LC2, the flaps LF3 and LF4 may be attached to one another at the corner LC3, and the flaps LF4 and LF1 may be attached to one another at the corner LC4. When the flaps LF1-LF4 are attached to one another in this manner, the flaps LF1-LF4 may extend outwardly at approximately a right angle with respect to the central insulated portion 150L. In such embodiments, the flaps LF1-LF4 may be substantially orthogonal to the central insulated portion 150L.

FIG. 6 is a first side view of the side panel 144 depicting an outwardly facing surface 156 of the side panel 144. FIG. 7 is a second side view of the side panel 144 depicting an inwardly facing surface 158 of the side panel 144. In the embodiment illustrated, the side panel 144 has a substantially rectangular shape. The side panel 144 has an upper edge portion 160 opposite a lower edge portion 162. The side panel 144 also has a first edge portion 164 opposite a second edge portion 166. Each of the upper and lower edge portions 160 and 162 extend between the first and second edge portions 164 and 166. One or more vents 170 (e.g., through-holes) may be formed in the side panel 144 to allow air to flow into and out of the interior 130 (see FIG. 15).

Turning to FIG. 7, one or more fasteners (e.g., Velcro strips 174, snaps, buttons, buttonholes, hooks, eyes, zipper portions, and the like) are positioned on each of the upper and lower edge portions 160 and 162. By way of a non-limiting example, one or more of the Velcro strips 174 may be sewn on each of the upper and lower edge portions 160 and 162. The Velcro strip(s) 174 on the upper edge portion 160 are positioned to engage the Velcro strips 154 on the flaps UF1-UF4 of the upper panel 140 when the shelter 100 is assembled. Similarly, the Velcro strip(s) 174 on the lower edge portion 162 are positioned to engage the Velcro strips 154 on the flaps LF1-LF4 of the lower panel 142 when the shelter 100 is assembled.

One or more fasteners (e.g., Velcro strips 176, snaps, buttons, buttonholes, hooks, eyes, zipper portions, and the like) are positioned on each of the first and second edge portions 164 and 166. In the embodiment illustrated, each of the first and second edge portions 164 and 166 includes a single one of the Velcro strips 176. The Velcro strip 176 on the first edge portion 164 is positioned to engage the Velcro strip 176 on the second edge portion 166 when the shelter 100 is assembled.

The side panel 144 wraps around the support frame 110 (as illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15) and is attached to the flaps UF1-UF4 and LF1-LF4 of the upper and lower panels 140 and 142, respectively. Turning to FIG. 15, one or more people (e.g., the person 102) may be sealed inside the interior 130 by attaching the Velcro strip 176 on the first edge portion 164 to the Velcro strip 176 on the second edge portion 166. People may enter or leave the interior 130 through an opening 292 defined between the first and second edge portions 164 and 166 when the Velcro strip 176 on the first edge portion 164 is detached from the Velcro strip 176 on the second edge portion 166.

All or portions of the outer covering 120 may be constructed from two or more layers of material. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary insulated portion 180 (e.g., the central insulated portion 150U of the upper panel 140 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the central insulated portion 150L of the lower panel 142 illustrated in FIG. 5, and at least a portion of the side panel 144 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7) of the outer covering 120 (see FIG. 1). The insulated portion 180 includes an inner material 182 opposite an outer material 186. The inner material 182 faces into the interior 130 (see FIG. 15) when the shelter 100 is assembled. The outer material 186 faces outwardly (or away from the interior 130) when the shelter 100 is assembled. Thus, the outer covering 120 may be characterized as having exterior surfaces (e.g., the outwardly facing surfaces 146U, 146L, and 156 illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, respectively) protected by the outer material 186 (e.g., tent fabric), and interior surfaces (e.g., the inwardly facing surfaces 148U, 148L, and 158 illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, and 7, respectively) insulated by the inner material 182.

The inner material 182 is configured to help retain heat or cold inside the shelter 100. Thus, the inner material 182 may be characterized as being thermal insulation. Thermal insulation provides a region in which thermal conduction is reduced and/or thermal radiation is reflected rather than absorbed. The inner material 182 helps prevent and/or limit heat transfer between the interior 130 (see FIG. 15) and an environment external to the shelter 100 (e.g., the interior of a home).

The inner material 182 may include reflective insulation. Reflective insulation has one or more reflective surfaces that reduce a rate of radiant heat transfer across air spaces. By way of a non-limiting example, the inner material 182 may be a reflective aluminum foil bubble insulation material that provides insulation from outside temperatures while also acting as a conduit to further promote heating or cooling provided by the packs 134 (see FIG. 2) inside the shelter 100. For example, the inner material 182 may be a REFLECTIX® brand Double Reflective Insulation (e.g., Model No. BP48025) manufactured by Reflectix, Inc. of Markleville, Ind.

In FIG. 8, the inner material 182 is illustrated as a reflective aluminum foil bubble insulation material (such as REFLECTIX® brand Double Reflective Insulation Model No. BP48025). The inner material 182 illustrated includes a first aluminum foil layer 182A and a second aluminum foil layer 182B. An intermediate layer 182C of bubble insulation is sandwiched between the first and second aluminum foil layers 182A and 182B. Each of the first and second aluminum foil layers 182A and 182B is a reflective insulation layer. The intermediate layer 182C may be non-reflective and helps limit thermal conduction.

The structure of the reflective aluminum foil bubble insulation material illustrated in FIG. 8 may be described as “AL+Bubble+AL.” In some embodiments, the intermediate layer 182C may include a second layer of bubble insulation (not shown). In such embodiments, the structure of the inner material 182 may be described as “AL+Bubble+Bubble+AL.” Non-limiting examples of other structures that may be used to construct the inner material 182 include “Al+Expanded Polyethylene Foam (“EPE”)+Al,” “Al+Cross Linked Polyethylene Foam (“XPE”)+Al,” and “Al+woven cloth+Bubble+Al.”

Aluminum foil bubble insulation of the type illustrated in FIG. 8 may have one or more of the properties listed in Table A below.

TABLE A Material structure AL + bubble + AL Bubble diameter and height  2.5 mm * 10 mm,    4 mm * 10 mm, and    7 mm * 20 mm Size/roll Normal size: 1.2 m * 40 m Max width: 1.5 m Reflectivity   96%-97% Water Vapor Transmission 0.013 G/M²KPA Thermal conductivity 0.034 Apparent density   85 KG/M² Weight   256 G/M² Tensile strength(MD) 16.98 Mpa Tensile strength(HD)  16.5 Mpa Corrosion Doesn't generate

It may be desirable for the inner material 182 to have one or more of the following properties:

-   -   1. Odor free;     -   2. Non-toxic (e.g., environmentally-friendly);     -   3. Light weight, durable, soft, dust free, fire retardant,         and/or easy to install;     -   4. Class A/class 1 fire rating;     -   5. R-value ranging from R-3.7 to R-21;     -   6. Provides heat reflection, heat insulation, sound insulation,         heat preservation, energy savings, and/or shielding;     -   7. Vapor and radon retarder;     -   8. Anti-radiation, and/or anti-vibration;     -   9. Provides a moisture barrier;     -   10. Aides in controlling mold and mildew;     -   11. Unaffected by moisture or humidity;     -   12. Inhibits condensation;     -   13. Does not promote nesting for rodents and pests;     -   14. Sun-proof and/or waterproof; and     -   15. Has good sealing properties.

The outer material 186 may help provide support for the inner material 182. Depending upon the implementation details, the outer material 186 may be more durable than the inner material 182 and may help protect the inner material 182. By way of a non-limiting example, the outer material 186 may be a woven fabric, such as a conventional tent fabric (e.g., standard polyester tent fabric), canvas, and the like. For example, the outer material 186 may be tent material 210 d or 150 d. The designations “210 d” and “150 d” each identify a particular yarn count or density. An exemplary suitable tent material may be 100% Polyester, about 60 inches (or about 1.5 meters) wide to about 71 inches (or about 1.8 meters) wide, and coated with polyacrylate (“PA”), polyurethane (“PU”), polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”), and/or ULY.

The Velcro strips 154, 174, and 176 (see FIGS. 3, 6, and 7) may be attached (e.g., sewn) to the inner material 182 and/or the outer material 186. By way of a non-limiting example, each of the Velcro strips 154, 174, and 176 may have a width of about ½ inch (or about 12.7 millimeters) to about ⅝ inches (or about 15.9 millimeters).

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the support frame 110. The support frame 110 includes four upright support members 201-204, two diagonal members 210 and 212, and four fittings 221-224. The diagonal member 210 extends between the upright support members 201 and 203, and the diagonal member 212 extends between the upright support members 202 and 204. In the embodiment illustrated, the diagonal member 212 crosses over the diagonal member 210. However, this is not a requirement. The first fitting 221 is configured to form a substantially orthogonal connection between the upright support member 201 and the diagonal member 210, the second fitting 222 is configured to form a substantially orthogonal connection between the upright support member 202 and the diagonal member 212, the third fitting 223 is configured to form a substantially orthogonal connection between the upright support member 203 and the diagonal member 210, and the fourth fitting 224 is configured to form a substantially orthogonal connection between the upright support member 204 and the diagonal member 212.

By way of a non-limiting example, each of the upright support members 201-204 may have a height of approximately four feet (or about 1.22 meters). The upright support members 201 and 204 may be spaced apart from the upright support members 202 and 203, respectively, by about six feet (or about 1.83 meters). The upright support members 201 and 202 may be spaced apart from the upright support members 204 and 203, respectively, by about four feet (or about 1.22 meters). Each of the diagonal members 210 and 212 may have a length of approximately eight feet and five inches (or about 2.57 meters). Thus, the shelter 100 may be approximately four feet (or about 1.22 meters) tall, approximately four feet (or about 1.22 meters) wide, and approximately six feet (or about 1.83 meters) long. However, this is not a requirement. As is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the dimensions of the shelter 100 may be determined at least in part based on its desired use.

Each of the upright support members 201-204 has an upper end portion 230 opposite a lower end portion 232. Each of the diagonal members 210 and 212 has a first end portion 234 opposite a second end portion 236. The first fitting 221 connects the first end portion 234 of the diagonal member 210 with the upper end portion 230 of the upright support member 201, and the third fitting 223 connects the second end portion 236 of the diagonal member 210 with the upper end portion 230 of the upright support member 203. The second fitting 222 connects the first end portion 234 of the diagonal member 212 with the upper end portion 230 of the upright support member 202, and the fourth fitting 224 connects the second end portion 236 of the diagonal member 212 with the upper end portion 230 of the upright support member 204.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the shelter 100 is assembled, the lower end portions 232 (see FIG. 9) of the upright support members 201-204 rest upon the lower panel 142 adjacent the corners LC1-LC4, respectively. Further, referring to FIG. 13, the upper panel 140 rests upon and is supported by the diagonal members 210 and 212 (see FIG. 9). The fittings 221-224 (see FIG. 9) are positioned adjacent the corners UC1-UC4, respectively, of the upper panel 140.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the support frame 110. In the embodiment illustrated, each of the upright support members 201-204 is constructed from a first elongated member 240 connected to a second elongated member 242. The first and second elongated members 240 and 242 may be connected together by a fitting (not shown) or connector. Alternatively, a first end portion 244 of the first elongated member 240 may be configured to receive a second end portion 246 of the second elongated member 242. A second end portion 248 may be configured to be received inside one of the fittings 221-224. In such embodiments, the first and second elongated members 240 and 242 may be substantially identical to one another.

As is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, each of the upright support members 201-204 may be constructed from one or more members like the first and second elongated members 240 and 242. The number of members like the first and second elongated members 240 and 242 used to construct the upright support members 201-204 may be determined at least in part by a desired height of the shelter 100.

In the embodiment illustrated, each of the diagonal members 210 and 212 is constructed from four elongated members 250-253 connected together in series. The first elongated member 250 has a first end portion 256 configured to be received inside one of the fittings 221-224. Similarly, the fourth elongated member 253 has a first end portion 258 configured to be received inside one of the fittings 221-224.

The elongated members 250-253 may be connected together in series by a fitting (not shown) or connector. Alternatively, a second end portion 260 of the first elongated member 250 may be configured to receive a first end portion 262 of the second elongated member 251, a second end portion 264 of the second elongated member 251 may be configured to be received inside a first end portion 266 of the third elongated member 252, and a second end portion 268 of the third elongated member 252 may be configured to be received inside a second end portion 270 of the fourth elongated member 253. In such embodiments, the elongated members 250, 252, and 253 may be substantially identical to one another.

As is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, each of the diagonal members 210 and 212 may be constructed from one or more members like the elongated members 250-253. The number of elongated members (like the elongated members 250-253) used to construct the diagonal members 210 and 212 may be determined based at least in part a desired length and/or a desired width of the shelter 100.

By way of a non-limiting example, the elongated members 240, 242, and 250-253 and the fittings 221-224 may be constructed from PVC, fiberglass, metal, plastic, carbon fiber, and the like. Each of the elongated members 240, 242, and 250-253 may be generally rectilinear and have a cross-sectional shape that is circular, oval, rectangular, square, triangular, hexagonal, irregular, and the like. By way of a non-limiting example, each of the elongated members 240, 242, and 250-253 may have a circular cross-sectional shape with a diameter of about ⅜ inches (or about 9.5 millimeters) to about ½ inch (or about 12.7 millimeters).

While the fittings 221-224 have been described as attaching the diagonal members 210 and 212 to the upright support members 201-204, in alternate embodiments, the diagonal members 210 and 212 may be configured to attach directly to the upright support members 201-204. In such embodiments, the fittings 221-224 may be omitted.

FIGS. 11-15 depict the shelter 100 being assembled. In FIG. 11, the lower panel 142 is placed on a support surface 280 (such as a floor, bed, mattress, and the like) with its inwardly facing surface 148L facing upwardly.

Next, in FIG. 12, the support frame 110 is assembled and placed on the inwardly facing surface 148L of the lower panel 142. The lower end portions 232 of the upright support members 201-204 are positioned adjacent the corners LC1-LC4, respectively. The support frame 110 is assembled by connecting together the first and second elongated members 240 and 242 of each of the upright support members 201-204, and connecting together the elongated members 250-253 of the diagonal members 210 and 212. Then, the diagonal members 210 and 212 are connected to the upright support members 201-204 using the fittings 221-224.

Then, in FIG. 13, the upper panel 140 is placed on top of the support frame 110 with the inwardly facing surface 148U (see FIG. 4) of the upper panel 140 facing downwardly toward the lower panel 142. Together, the upper panel 140, the lower panel 142, and the support frame 110 form a subassembly 290.

Next, in FIG. 14, the side panel 144 is wrapped around the subassembly 290. As the side panel 144 is wrapped around the subassembly 290, the Velcro strip(s) 174 of the upper edge portion 160 of the side panel 144 are attached to the Velcro strip(s) 154 of each of the flaps UF1-UF4 (see FIG. 5) of the upper panel 140, and the Velcro strip(s) 174 of the lower edge portion 162 of the side panel 144 are attached to the Velcro strip(s) 154 of each of the flaps LF1-LF4 (see FIG. 5) of the lower panel 142.

As may be seen in FIG. 15, an opening 292 (or doorway) in the outer covering 120 is defined between the first and second edge portions 164 and 166 of the side panel 144. The opening 292 may be closed by fastening the Velcro strips 176 on the first and second edge portions 164 and 166 together. Similarly, the opening 292 may be opened by unfastening the Velcro strips 176 on the first and second edge portions 164 and 166. One or more people (e.g., the person 102) may enter and exit the interior 130 of the shelter 100 through the opening 292.

After the shelter 100 is assembled, referring to FIG. 2, the one or more packs 134 may be placed inside the shelter. If necessary, the packs 134 may be activated. Optionally, the packs 134 may be placed in the bags 136 and the bags hung from one or more of the diagonal members 210 and 212. The packs 134 will help heat or cool the interior 130 (see FIG. 15) of the shelter 100 as any people therein (e.g., the person 102 illustrated in FIG. 15) sleep.

The shelter 100 may be disassembled by reversing the assembly process described above with respect to FIGS. 11-15.

In alternate embodiments, the lower panel 142 may be omitted. In such embodiments, the Velcro strip(s) 174 of the lower edge portion 162 of the side panel 144 may also be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 2, a kit for constructing the shelter 100 may include the upper panel 140, and the side panel 144, and the elongated members 240, 242, and 250-253 illustrated in FIG. 10. Returning to FIG. 2, optionally, the kit may also include the lower panel 142, the packs 134, the bags 136, and/or the fittings 221-224 (see FIG. 10).

Referring to FIG. 10, the elongated members 240, 242, and 250-253 may be assembled to form the upright support members 201-204 and the diagonal members 210 and 212, which in turn may be assembled to form the support frame 110. Thus, the elongated members 240, 242, and 250-253 may be characterized as including first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth subsets of elongated members. The first subset of elongated members (one of the elongated members 240, and one of the elongated members 242) may be assembled to form the first upright support member 201. The second subset of elongated members (one of the elongated members 240, and one of the elongated members 242) may be assembled to form the second upright support member 202. The third subset of elongated members (one of the elongated members 240, and one of the elongated members 242) may be assembled to form the third upright support member 203. The fourth subset of elongated members (one of the elongated members 240, and one of the elongated members 242) may be assembled to form the fourth upright support member 204. The fifth subset of elongated members (one of the elongated members 250, one of the elongated members 251, one of the elongated members 252, and one of the elongated members 253) may be assembled to form the diagonal member 210. Finally, the sixth subset of elongated members (one of the elongated members 250, one of the elongated members 251, one of the elongated members 252, and one of the elongated members 253) may be assembled to form the diagonal member 212. Each of the plurality of elongated members 240, 242, and 250-253 belongs to at most one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth subsets.

The support frame 110 has been described and illustrated as being detached from the outer covering 120. However, this is not a requirement. In alternate embodiments, the outer covering 120 may be attached to the support frame 110.

Referring to FIG. 5, the central insulated portions 150U and 150L of the upper and lower panels 140 and 142, respectively, have been described as being generally rectangular. However, this is not a requirement. The central insulated portions 150U and 150L may have alternate shapes such as square, round, oval, triangular, irregular, and the like. As is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the number of edges, corners, and flaps may be determined at least in part by the shape of the central insulated portions 150U and 150L.

The foregoing described embodiments depict different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).

Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A shelter comprising: a support frame; an upper panel positioned on top of the support frame, the upper panel having at least one downwardly extending flap with one or more fasteners; and a side panel wrapped around the support frame, the side panel comprising an upper edge portion having one or more fasteners, the one or more fasteners of the upper edge portion removably fastening the side panel to the one or more fasteners of the at least one downwardly extending flap of the upper panel, together portions of the upper and side panels defining an interior.
 2. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the upper panel is generally rectangular, and the at least one downwardly extending flap comprises four downwardly extending flaps.
 3. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the portions of the upper and side panels defining the interior are constructed from a material having a first layer adjacent the interior, and a different second layer opposite the first layer, the first layer comprising a thermal insulation material.
 4. The shelter of claim 3, wherein the second layer is a woven fabric.
 5. The shelter of claim 3, wherein the first layer is a reflective insulation.
 6. The shelter of claim 5, wherein the reflective insulation comprises an aluminum foil bubble insulation material.
 7. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the upper panel is separate and different from the side panel.
 8. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the side panel comprises one or more vents through which air may flow into and out of the interior.
 9. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the one or more fasteners of the at least one downwardly extending flap comprise a Velcro strip, and the one or more fasteners of the upper edge portion comprise a Velcro strip attached to the Velcro strip of the one or more fasteners of the at least one downwardly extending flap.
 10. The shelter of claim 1, further comprising: one or more activatable heating packs positioned inside the interior, the one or more heating packs generating heat when activated.
 11. The shelter of claim 10, further comprising: one or more bags hanging from the support frame holding the one or more activatable heating packs.
 12. The shelter of claim 1, further comprising: one or more cooling packs positioned inside the interior, the one or more cooling packs being configured to lower an interior temperature inside the shelter relative to an environmental temperature outside the shelter.
 13. The shelter of claim 12, further comprising: one or more bags hanging from the support frame holding the one or more cooling packs.
 14. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the side panel comprises a lower edge portion having one or more fasteners, and the shelter further comprises: a lower panel positioned under the support frame, the lower panel having at least one upwardly extending flap with one or more fasteners, the one or more fasteners of the lower edge portion removably fastening the side panel to the one or more fasteners the at least one upwardly extending flap of the lower panel.
 15. The shelter of claim 14, wherein the portions of the upper and side panels defining the interior are constructed from a material having a first layer adjacent the interior, and a different second layer opposite the first layer, the first layer comprising a thermal insulation material, and at least a portion of the lower panel adjacent the interior is constructed from the material.
 16. The shelter of claim 14, wherein the one or more fasteners of the at least one upwardly extending flap comprise a Velcro strip, and the one or more fasteners of the lower edge portion comprise a Velcro strip attached to the Velcro strip of the one or more fasteners of the at least one upwardly extending flap.
 17. The shelter of claim 14, wherein the lower panel is generally rectangular, and the at least one upwardly extending flap comprises four upwardly extending flaps.
 18. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the side panel comprises a first side edge portion opposite a second side edge portion, the upper edge portion extends between the first and second side edge portions; the first side edge portion has one or more fasteners, the second side edge portion has one or more fasteners, and the one or more fasteners of the first side edge portion are removably fastenable to the one or more fasteners of the second side edge portion to thereby removably fasten the first side edge portion to the second side edge portion.
 19. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises: a first upright member having a first upper portion; a second upright member having a second upper portion; a third upright member having a third upper portion; a fourth upright member having a fourth upper portion; a first diagonal member having a first end portion connected to the first upper portion of the first upright member, and a second end portion connected to the third upper portion of the third upright member; and a second diagonal member having a first end portion connected to the second upper portion of the second upright member, and a second end portion connected to the fourth upper portion of the fourth upright member, the second diagonal member crossing over the first diagonal member.
 20. The shelter of claim 19, wherein the support frame comprises: a first fitting connecting the first end portion of the first diagonal member to the first upper portion of the first upright member; a second fitting connecting the first end portion of the second diagonal member to the second upper portion of the second upright member; a third fitting connecting the second end portion of the first diagonal member to the third upper portion of the third upright member; and a fourth fitting connecting the second end portion of the second diagonal member to the fourth upper portion of the fourth upright member.
 21. A kit for constructing a shelter, the kit comprising: a plurality of elongated members that when assembled form a support frame; an upper panel positionable on top of the support frame, the upper panel having at least one downwardly extending flap with one or more fasteners; and a side panel configured to wrap around the support frame, the side panel comprising an upper edge portion having one or more fasteners, the one or more fasteners of the upper edge portion removably fastening the side panel to the one or more fasteners of the at least one downwardly extending flap of the upper panel, together portions of the upper and side panels defining an interior.
 22. The kit of claim 21, wherein the portions of the upper and side panels defining the interior are constructed from a material having a first layer adjacent the interior, and a different second layer opposite the first layer, the first layer comprising a thermal insulation material.
 23. The kit of claim 21, further comprising: one or more packs positionable inside the interior, the one or more packs being configured to change an interior temperature inside the shelter relative to an environmental temperature outside the shelter.
 24. The kit of claim 23, further comprising: one or more bags configured to be hung from the support frame and hold the one or more packs.
 25. The kit of claim 21, wherein the side panel comprises a lower edge portion having one or more fasteners, and the kit further comprises: a lower panel positionable under the support frame, the lower panel having at least one upwardly extending flap with one or more fasteners, the one or more fasteners of the lower edge portion removably fastening the side panel to the one or more fasteners the at least one upwardly extending flap of the lower panel.
 26. The kit of claim 25, wherein the portions of the upper and side panels defining the interior are constructed from a material having a first layer adjacent the interior, and a different second layer opposite the first layer, the first layer comprising a thermal insulation material, and at least a portion of the lower panel adjacent the interior is constructed from the material.
 27. The kit of claim 21, wherein the side panel comprises a first side edge portion opposite a second side edge portion, the upper edge portion extends between the first and second side edge portions; the first side edge portion has one or more fasteners, the second side edge portion has one or more fasteners, and the one or more fasteners of the first side edge portion are removably fastenable to the one or more fasteners of the second side edge portion to thereby removably fasten the first side edge portion to the second side edge portion.
 28. The kit of claim 21, wherein the plurality of elongated members are divisible into first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth subsets, each of the subsets comprising two or more of the plurality of elongated members, each of the plurality of elongated members belonging to at most one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth subsets, the elongated members of the first subset are configured to be assembled to form a first upright member having a first upper portion, the elongated members of the second subset are configured to be assembled to form a second upright member having a second upper portion, the elongated members of the third subset are configured to be assembled to form a third upright member having a third upper portion, the elongated members of the fourth subset are configured to be assembled to form a fourth upright member having a fourth upper portion, the elongated members of the fifth subset are configured to be assembled to form a first diagonal member having a first end portion opposite a second end portion, the elongated members of the sixth subset are configured to be assembled to form a second diagonal member having a first end portion opposite a second end portion, the kit further comprises first, second, third, and fourth fittings, the first fitting is configured to connect the first end portion of the first diagonal member to the first upper portion of the first upright member, the second fitting is configured to connect the first end portion of the second diagonal member to the second upper portion of the second upright member, the third fitting is configured to connect the second end portion of the first diagonal member to the third upper portion of the third upright member, and the fourth fitting is configured to connect the second end portion of the second diagonal member to the fourth upper portion of the fourth upright member. 